"Taylor was as good as advertised," Cincinnati coach Rick Minter said of the game MVP.

Cincinnati (7-5) drove to the 5, but couldn't convert on fourth-and-4 with 50 seconds left. Cincinnati's Ray Jackson, who transferred from Michigan, bobbled a deflected pass in a crowded end zone, sealing the victory for Toledo (10-2).

"Everybody was talking about our offenses before the game," Toledo coach Tom Amstutz said. "But it always comes down to defense."

Toledo averaged nearly 35 points while the Bearcats scored almost 30 points a game this season.

Toledo quarterback Tavares Bolden was 14-of-28 for 135 yards with one interception and ran for 99 yards, which helped the Rockets set a Motor City Bowl-record with 322 yards rushing.

Toledo held Cincinnati to just 13 yards on the ground, also a record in the fifth-year bowl.

Taylor's 24-yard touchdown capped an 80-yard drive, which he keyed with three carries for 52 yards. The third-team All-America selection had a bowl-record 31 carries.

He celebrated with his family and friends, who drove less than an hour from his hometown of River Rouge, Mich.

"The offensive line did a great job," Taylor said. "All I had to do was break tackles."